


The Great Unknown

by tiniestmite



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Domestic Violence, Gun Violence, Hostage Situations, M/M, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite/pseuds/tiniestmite
Summary: While responding to a domestic dispute, Carlos is taken hostage.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 39
Kudos: 101





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Guns, domestic violence, and hostage situations are all prominent in this fic. This a little more heavy than some of my other fics where I've written whump or h/c so please read with caution.

When Carlos wakes up, he has no idea where he is. Taking in his surroundings, he doesn’t recognize the living room he is currently sitting in. He can’t even recall how he got here. The panic starts to set in when he realizes not only is his head pounding but there’s also something wet dripping down his temple. 

As he goes to touch it, he finds resistance. He notes that his hands are bound behind his back, as well as his feet tied to the legs of the stiff chair. 

He blinks a few times, trying to assess the situation he’s found himself in but everything still seems fuzzy. He spots his gun and radio on the table across the room. On the other side of the room is a man, yelling into his phone. Carlos tries to pick up on what he’s saying but he can’t concentrate when his head feels like it’s about to explode. 

It isn’t until he spots the woman lying on the ground, passed out, that the memories of earlier come flooding back to him. 

_ 2 hours earlier _

Pulling up to the house in a quiet neighborhood, everything seems fine. He and his partner were sent to resolve a domestic dispute after one of the neighbors heard yelling and called it in. Carlos was used to responding to these types of calls. Most often it was just a misunderstanding and nothing that a small chat between him and the couple couldn’t fix.

But every once in a while he got a weird vibe. It was those calls, the ones that took more than a simple conversation, that kept him up at night. But they were also the calls that reminded him why he chose this job; To help people. 

While his partner went over to talk to the neighbor that had made the call and take her statement, Carlos went ahead and knocked on the door. The sooner this was resolved, the better. 

He hears some scuffling inside and just as he is about to start pounding in the door a man opens it just wide enough so that he can stick his head out, but not enough for Carlos to see inside.

Carlos quickly takes note of the man he has come face-to-face with. His panic-filled eyes and labored breathing are clear indicators that something is not right here.

“Can I help you?” the man spits out.

“Sir, I’m with Austin PD. One of your neighbors called in a noise complaint. Do you mind if I come in and make sure everything is okay?”

“Everything is fine here.” 

The man goes to close the door but not before Carlos is able to stop it with his foot. “With all due respect sir, I can’t leave until I confirm that for myself.”

The man pauses to consider his options when Carlos hears it. A small whimper coming from inside the home. He locks eyes with the man before pushing past him and calling out to his partner. 

It all happens so fast. Before his partner can reach the home, the man slams the door shut and locks it. Carlos reaches for his gun but stops himself when the man reveals his own gun and aims it at the officer.

“Don’t move,” is all the man says, trying to keep a calm tone but Carlos doesn’t miss how his voice slightly shakes. He also picks up on how the man is holding the gun with two hands, one keeping the other steady. Initially, Carlos thinks that it’s a sign this man is just scared and maybe the situation could still be resolved without anyone else getting hurt. But, it could also be a sign that he is acting on an impulse, meaning he is unpredictable.

Raising his hands up, Carlos recounts all the training he’s had for these types of situations. Let them believe they are in control. Don’t give them a reason to doubt you. Let them think they have a way out. 

“Listen, everything is fine. I know you don’t want to hurt anyone. My partner is still outside and is already radioing for backup. If you let me go now, you can still get out of this okay?”

“Just- just shut up okay. I need to think.” The man is clearly flustered. He has no idea what he’s doing. 

Carlos needs to figure out how to get out of this. Upon assessing his options, Carlos spots the source of the whimper he had heard. A blonde woman, lying on the floor with her back turned to him a few feet away. Her soft pink blouse rides up slightly on her back, revealing a large purple bruise forming on her torso. He can tell she is trying to stifle her sobs so that the man doesn’t hear. Fortunately for her, the man has given his full attention to Carlos at the moment. 

When the sirens start up outside, Carlos relaxes a little. At least he has a chance. He knows how this goes; They will try to negotiate and from what Carlos has observed so far, the man has no idea what he’s doing and will probably give in without much trouble. 

He waits until the man turns around to peak out the blinds at the source of the exterior sound to make his way over to the woman and make sure she is okay.

“I told you not to move!” 

Carlos turns around to try and reason with the man only to be met with the barrel of the man’s gun hitting him in the head.

And then everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TK POV while Carlos is held hostage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys the chapter would come sooner if you left comments/kudos... :)

It shouldn’t take that much convincing on TK’s part for the police to let him through barricades that are blocking the street from the home in which Carlos was inside. His boyfriend was in danger and they won’t let him anywhere near the scene. 

It was Michelle who called him first. As soon as word of a hostage situation got out, paramedics were called to the scene, as a precaution but nonetheless it was enough to set TK on edge. And as soon as Michelle found out the police officer inside was not just a police officer but her best friend and her co-worker’s boyfriend, she called TK.

She tried to assure him that there was nothing he could do by being on the scene, and that she would call him as soon as his boyfriend was safe, but he hung up before she could finish. 

Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling up to the crowded scene with his dad tagging along for moral support. TK tried to insist that he was fine to call for an Uber and go alone, but Owen insisted on driving them there himself. 

That ended up working out for the better since his influence as a Fire Captain is what ended up allowing him to get through the barriers. 

Weaving their way through the crowd, TK finally spots Michelle and catches her eye. 

“How is he? What’s going on?” he asks hurriedly as soon as he makes his way over to her.

He feels his dad place a hand on his shoulder. Under any other circumstances, the gesture would be reassuring but the only comfort TK needs right now is knowing that Carlos will make it out of this alive.

“TK, I told you, you don’t need to be here,” Michelle trails off. 

He doesn’t say anything, waiting for her to answer his questions. 

“I don’t know much. Just that he and his partner responded to a domestic dispute and somehow he ended up inside. His partner was fine and immediately called it in. Apparently there’s been several 9-1-1 calls from this address. The man’s name is Ryan and his wife, Allison recently took out a restraining order which is what likely triggered today’s dispute. Carlos has been in there for about an hour now.”

“Well why haven’t they sent anyone in yet?” TK says trying to hide the desperation in his voice. If Carlos has been in there for over an hour, how much longer do they plan to wait? Logically he knows the negotiations take time but he can’t help but feel frustrated with the lack of information when his boyfriend is the one in danger. 

Michelle just gives him a soft look, not sure what to say. 

He looks off to the house that Carlos is currently trapped in. He’s so close, yet he might as well be a million miles away since they are nowhere closer to getting him out. He feels like he’s just holding his breath, waiting for some sign that progress was being made to bring his boyfriend to safety. But there’s nothing.

Michelle was right. There’s not much he can do by being here. Yet he knows he would be just as anxious, if not more, if he was waiting for the call at home.

So instead he holds his breath. And waits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how short this is... I really wanted to explore TK's perspective as the worried!boyfriend but there's only so much development I can do before I need to switch back to Carlos.  
> I hoping to get chapter 3 posted by a week from today (July 3) but it may come early again... the next chapter will be from Carlos' perspective though!  
> Please continue to leave comments and kudos, I love hearing what you guys think!!


	3. Chapter 3

In the few minutes Carlos has been awake, he hasn’t gained any new information from when he first entered the house. Watching the man pace back and forth only further proved Carlos’ earlier observation that he had no plan.

Carlos tried to focus on what he had been trained to do in these situations, however, the duct tape digging into his wrists and the throbbing in his head made it hard to concentrate on anything else.

Upon hearing another whimper from the woman in the corner, his attention is drawn back to her.

“Hey,” he says, trying to get the attention of the man. “I need to make sure she’s okay. What’s her name?”

The man's eyes widen as he turns to look at Carlos. The startled look on his face brings Carlos to the realization that he must not have noticed that Carlos was no longer unconscious until now. Maybe it was a bad idea to draw attention to himself, he thinks. 

The other man opens his mouth to speak but stops himself. He takes a few short breaths before replying, “It doesn’t matter, she’s fine.”

“She doesn’t look fine.”

“She is.”

“What’s your name?”

“None of your business,” he pauses, taking some more deep breaths. He seems to be calming down the more Carlos keeps talking to him. “It’s Ryan,” he finally says.

“Ryan. Okay, I’m Carlos. Do you think we could talk about what happened before I got here?”

Just as quickly as he calmed down, Ryan’s panicked expression returns and Carlos body freezes. He thought by trying to talk to the man that was holding him hostage, he could forget that he was in fact, being held hostage. A plan that seemed to be working until now.

“No more talking,” Ryan says, picking up the gun on the table and pointing it at Carlos. 

Carlos’ breath hitches. Sure, this is not the first time he has had a gun pointed at him, but usually he also has the security of his own police-issued gun on his hip. This time, that gun is also within reach of Ryan. Yet another observation that makes the dread in Carlos’ stomach grow. 

But he knows that while he is unarmed and alone inside, the growing commotion outside makes it clear that his chances of making it out of his alive are still good. 

“Have they called you yet?” Carlos asks, hoping to distract Ryan enough to calm him again.

“What?”

“The people outside. If they haven’t already, they are going to call you and ask what your demands are. You should probably think about what you want.”

“I… I don’t,” Ryan begins to say but is cut off by his phone ringing. “Hello…?” 

This is perfect. With Ryan distracted, Carlos tries to channel what little energy he has into formulating a plan to get out of this situation. He sucks in a breath as he wiggles his wrists, trying to see if there's any give. Much to his luck, he realizes that with a little more friction, he should be able to break out of the tape binding his wrists.

Looking up at Ryan, he takes note that the man still has his attention devoted to the negotiator. But if Carlos has learned anything from the small interactions he has had with him, it’s that Ryan is easily thrown off and quick to shut down. With that in mind, Carlos works quickly, wiggling his wrists until he feels the binding rip enough for him to break free. He then quickly and quietly removes the tape binding his ankles to the chair legs.

He waits until Ryan’s back is turned before making his move over to the injured woman. Despite all he’s endured today, it’s clear that she has endured much more. Above all else, he just needs to make sure she is okay right now. 

“Hey,” he whispers, crouching down beside her. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Allison,” she groans.

“Allison, we’re both going to make it out of here. Okay?”

Carlos is not sure what his plan is but it turns out that does not matter since Ryan has now taken notice of the conversation between Allison and Carlos. 

“Listen, Ryan,” Carlos starts but when Ryan starts to charge at him, gun still in hand, Carlos does what he is trained to do; he runs towards the danger.

Their bodies connect, the two men fall to the floor, wrestling for control of the weapon. Carlos thinks he finally gets hold of the gun. It is at that very moment when his anxiety threatens to ease, he hears the unmistakable sound of the weapon firing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between the alcohol, sleep deprivation, and my overall desire to bang this chapter out in one sitting, the first draft of this was a MESS. You guys can thank Max, @terramous for making this actually readable... I think that was the most comments he ever had to make and this wasn't even that long lmao.
> 
> Just one more chapter left! Let me know if you hated the cliffhanger as much as Max did ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short... and for the long wait.

TK feels his world come to a halt. 

His ears are still ringing from the gunshot that fired no more than five seconds ago. He could've convinced himself that it didn’t happen, and that he had instead just imagined it. But it was then that the commotion started up around him and the next thing he knew the SWAT team was breaking down the door, he knew that a gun was in fact fired. In the same house, if not the same room, his boyfriend was in.

He wants to run in behind them to make sure Carlos is okay. However, his father's firm hand on his shoulder ensures that he stays put. Even if that wasn’t holding him in place, TK doesn’t think he would be able to move. His heart feels like it’s going to beat out of his chest. All he can do is stand there helplessly, watching and waiting.

When he hears the calls for paramedics, his anxiety only spikes higher. He briefly catches Michelle’s eye as she makes her way over to the house. She gives him a sympathetic look, but he knows she’s probably feeling the same anxiety he is.

As she disappears into the house, two officers bring a man out in handcuffs. When TK put it together that he must be the suspect, Ryan, he didn’t think his heart could sink any further. If Ryan is outside and Carlos is still inside, he can only assume the worst. 

The next thing he knows, Carlos is being wheeled out on a stretcher. Breaking out of his dad’s grasp, TK jogs over to meet Michelle and Carlos as they approach the back of the ambulance.

“Carlos?” he asks as his eyes dart between Michelle, her team, and an unconscious Carlos. He isn’t sure if he’s asking for Carlos to respond, or for information regarding his condition. 

With no response, TK stands frozen, watching helplessly as the paramedics work on trying to stop the bleeding and stabilize Carlos enough to transport him to the hospital. The blood soaked rags that keep getting thrown to the side as he bleeds through them at an alarming rate make TK want to throw up. 

At some point, his dad comes up behind him and pulls him back a few steps to give Michelle and her team room to keep working. 

Eventually they are able to get the bleeding under control and Michelle gives him a small nod, signalling that it’s okay for him to ride in the back of the ambulance with them. Sliding onto the bench, he grabs Carlos hand and holds his breath, just hoping that his man is going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise... I know I said this was going to be four chapters but I decided to split the last chapter so I could switch back to Carlos pov. Chapter 5 coming soon- hopefully sooner than how long it took for me to get this chapter published!

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Running Home to You" by Bee Caves
> 
> Yell at me on tumblr: @officerrxyes


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